Sania Mirza Latest News & Information

Shruti Haasan was skeptical about being an actress

2013-05-23T01:39:00.002-07:00

Actress Shruti Haasan, daughter of legendary actor Kamal Haasan and actress Sarika, always wanted to be in showbiz, but was skeptical about facing the camera because she didn’t find herself attractive enough to be a heroine.

“I always wanted to become actress, but I always thought I am too ugly to be an actress. I was always in the sport, in the sun and always running around. I always thought heroines are so beautiful how will I be that beautiful? But I always wanted to be in the entertainment business. I always wanted to act, sing and be a part of it,” said Shruti who also sings.

The 27-year-old, who made her debut with Hindi movie “Luck”, will have two releases on June 19 – “D-Day” and “Ramaiya Vasta Vaiya”.
“It is good it just so happened,” she said about the simultaneous release of her two films and added: “I am happy that both are polar opposite films. For me, both the characters are so different from each other. In a weird way, it is nice that both the films are coming out on the same day. It just shows the range,” she said.

The actress, who has featured in more than half-a-dozen films so far, including Telugu movie “Anaganaga O Dheerudu”, finds her journey unconventional.

“It’s been a kind of different journey. It is not a conventional journey of a star. I have never been a conventional person. My journey has taught me a lot. There has been success and failure – they both taught me a lot. It’s my journey and hopefully, will return more colours.”

Ranbir Kapoor keen to work on small screen

2013-05-23T01:38:00.000-07:00

Actor Ranbir Kapoor says that he would love to be godfather to his former girlfriend and “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani” co-star Deepika Padukone’s kids in future.

“Godfather means someone who you really are fond of. You want the kids to kind of look up to you and, kind of, mentor the kids,” Ranbir said at an event held to promote ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani”.

The two not only enjoy each other’s company but also look quite comfortable with each other after parting ways.

“I don’t know whether I will have my own kids or not but she (Deepika Padukone) will definitely have. So I would love to be her children’s godfather, but I don’t know whether she or her husband will allow me but it will be nice to mentor her children,” Ranbir said

It’ is after five years that Ranbir and Deepika will be seen together on screen. They last featured together in “Bachna Ae Haseeno”.

Ranbir wants to be ‘godfather’ to Deepika’s kids

2013-05-23T01:37:00.001-07:00

Deepika Padukone in a Konkani film!

2013-05-23T01:36:00.002-07:00

Deepika Padukone has always stood tall. The actress, who is busy shooting for Chennai Express with Shahrukh Khan, has at least half a dozen projects lined up until next year! With only a few days to go for her film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and two months for Chennai Express, Deepika Padukone is the talk of B-town! The film would be her first with Ranbir Kapoor, post breakup.

Now, she will be seen in a Konkani-English short film, which is being directed by Homi Adajania. The two had previously worked together on Cocktail, which was received well at the box-office! The film is titled “Finding Fanny” and is set in Goa. Deepika decided to take up the project when Homi was casually telling her about his plans and Homi was more than glad to oblige! “Homi narrated the story to me, while we were shooting for Cocktail, with no intention of casting me in the film. He was simply talking about an idea. I told him that I want to be part of it. He was surprised, because it’s not a regular feature film,” said Deepika, who will be seen with Ishaqzaade star Arjun Kapoor.

But, wouldn’t it be odd for Deepika Padukone to do a short film? She explains, “I agreed to do it for two reasons — my faith in Homi as a director, and the fact that I found the script exciting. I don’t like using the word offbeat, but it’s different from whatever I’ve done before in my career. Homi has wanted to make this film for a long time, and I’m happy he’s finally put it together.” The film is being produced by Saif Ali Khan’s Illuminati Films.

More than Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, we’re looking forward to to see Deepika Padukone in a Konkani film!

Kangna Ranaut says gangster films lucky for her

2013-05-23T01:20:00.001-07:00

Himachal girl Kangna Ranaut entered filmdom with hit crime-romance Gangster - A Love story and the actress, whose latest release Shootout At Wadala also did well, feels gangster thrillers are lucky for her.

"I think gangster-based films are very lucky for me. My debut film 'Gangster' in 2006 was successful, then came Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai and now 'Shootout At Wadala'," the 26-year-old said here Tuesday at the success bash of "Shootout At Wadala".

Directed by Sanjay Gupta, "Shootout At Wadala" is the story of Mumbai police's first official encounter in which they shot dead gangster Manya Surve. In the film, John Abraham plays Manya, while Kangna Ranaut is seen as his love interest Vidya Joshi.

In her seven-year-long career, Kangna tried her hands at romance and comedy as well with Woh Lamhe, Double Dhamaal and Tanu Weds Manu. If these films did well at the box office, Kangna too got accolades for her performances.

"I think, in these kind of films people have appreciated me," added the National Award winning actress.

When asked about her reaction on being sidelined in favour of other actresses - Priyanka Chopra, Sunny Leone and Sophie Choudry during "Shootout At Wadala" pre-release promotions, Kangna said: "This is producers' decision how they want to promote their film. Actors should not interfere in such things and actors like me don't even do that."

"These are minor things, so there is no point feeling sad or ignored. Moreover, whatever is best for the film should be done," she added.

She concluded by saying: "I have been working since I was 17 and have completed seven years here. So when you have that much experience, you know that films come and go. They are not everything. We do also have our own life."

Happy Birthday: Sunny Leone’s hottest moments

2013-05-23T01:18:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday, Sunny Leone May 13. That’s the day 31 years ago a pretty girl was born in a Punjabi family in Ontario. She was destined to become the ultimate male fantasy in her adult years. Today is Sunny Leone’s birthday and here is a little hot tribute to the siren from ApunKaChoice.

In less than two years since she first made her appearance on ‘Bigg Boss 5’ in 2011, Sunny Leone has come a long way. She’s had her Bollywood debut in Jism 2, signed on a couple of projects, danced to an item song ‘Laila’, and, more than anything, found acceptance in the film industry and won many fans throughout India despite (or perhaps because of) her former status as a pornstar of some reckoning.

Today, Sunny Leone has cemented her foothold in Bollywood. She commands a good fee for the films she signs on and has shifted base full time from the US to Mumbai.

For someone who started out as an adult model and graduated to hardcore porn in the subsequent years, a foray into Bollywood is way off the trajectory. But Sunny Leone has done what once seemed improbable and we must say she’s done that with a sense of self dignity.

True, she has stuck to her hot and sensuous persona during the Bollywood stint, but won respect alongside as well.

On her 31st birthday, ApunKaChoice wished Sunny Leone many happy returns of the day with this photo-tribute of her hottest moments and public outings since she arrived in Bollywood, starting with this still from Manforce ad that she released on her birthday.

'Shootout At Wadala' is all the rage at box office

2013-05-23T01:14:00.002-07:00

John Abraham, Sunny Leone, Tusshar Kapoor, Sonu Sood and Manoj Bajpayee are already celebrating the success of Shootout At Wadala and the reason is not hard to see. After opening on Friday with a collection of Rs. 10.10 crore, the film didn’t lose many footfalls on Saturday (Rs. 9.75 crore) and picked up on Sunday (Rs. 10.85 crore). The first weekend collection of the film stands at Rs. 30.70 crore (as predicted by ApunKaChoice in our last box office report).

The film has done particularly well in Maharashtra and Nizam.

The other release of last Friday, Bombay Talkies, trudged on at box office after a lackluster start and rounded off its first weekend at the paltry sum of Rs. 5.05 crore.

Meanwhile, Aashiqui 2 completed its first week run at theatres with Rs. 37 crore and added another Rs. 9 crore to its kitty in the second weekend. The film is a hit.

The coming Friday would see the release of Go Goa Gone and Gippi. We’ll bring you the box office openings of both films.

Sunny Leone’s ‘Ragini MMS 2’ a date movie!

2013-05-23T01:08:00.002-07:00

While the makers of Ragini MMS 2 have touted the film as a spook fest with sensuousness, drama, and, of course, Sunny Leone, the actress feels that the movie is a date flick.

While talking to a daily, Sunny Leone went candid about her next release, which was recently in the news for lesbian scenes featuring Sandhya Mridul and Sunny. “It's not about what people think it is. Ragini MMS 2 is a date movie. You can take your girlfriend to the movie and I guarantee you will enjoy it,” Sunny is quoted as saying.

The actress further adds that Ragini MMS 2, produced by Ekta Kapoor, is a kind of movie that has all the elements of a thrilling entertainer. Sunny Leone is sure that the audience will enjoy the experience of watching her horror film.
The sequel will take forward the story and will start from where the first part ended. The movie doesn’t have any lesbian scene, but it features a kiss between the two girls, and according to the makers, the script demanded it. Actress Sandhya Mridul was chosen to cast alongside Sunny Leone for the film after Richa Chadda walked out from the project as she wasn’t comfortable with the lesbian content.

As for now, Sunny Leone is soaking in the success of Laila -- her first item number in Bollywood. She’s even tweeting non-stop about the movie Shootout At Wadala that has started minting money at the box office.

Sunny has even signed a three-film deal with Parag Sanghvi, of Alumbra Entertainment. The first movie of the production house will be a thriller.

HOT: Porn star Priya Anjali Rai comes to Bollywood

2013-05-23T01:06:00.000-07:00

Taking a leaf out of the success story of Sunny Leone, the Indian-American porn star Priya Anjali Rai is all set for her Bollywood debut.

The 35-year-old Rai has worked in over 100 adult films so far and has also won a few adult-film awards. Now, she’s Bollywood bound with an independent film which, believe it or not, won’t have any skinshow from Priya Rai.

Producer Asokan PK has confirmed that Priya would film a few intimate scenes and will be in India for 20 days to shoot the film. During this period, if some interesting offers come her way and if she’s willing, she might sign some new projects as well.

Now, a little lowdown on Priya Anjali Rai. She was born in New Delhi in 1977 but was adopted by American parents at the age of 2. She grew up in the US and attended the Arizona State University. By the time Priya was in her late teens, she took to stripping and was a professional stripper for 12 years before stepping into the porn industry in 2007. Since then she’s been among the hottest porn stars. Lifestyle magazine Complex placed her at number 19 in their list of "The Top 100 Hottest Porn Stars Right Now" (in 2011) and at number 32 in their list of "The 50 Prettiest Porn Stars of All Time".

If Priya Rai indeed decides to take up offers from Bollywood she would be following the footsteps of Sunny Leone, who has struck gold in a short time following her Bigg Boss stint in 2011.

Check out more images of Priya Anjali Rai ahead and tell us if she’s got what it takes to give Sunny Leone a run for her money?

Movie Review: 'Shootout At Wadala' is worth giving a shot

2013-05-23T01:03:00.003-07:00

ApunKaChoice movie review of Shootout At Wadala. If your expectations aren’t pegged too high, and your curiosity amply tickled by the raunchy gyrations of Sunny Leone, Priyanka Chopra and Sophie Choudry, and -- last but not the least -- John Abraham’s brawnfest has inspired you to hit the gym, then Sanjay Gupta’s rare attempt at originality, titled Shootout At Wadala, is surely worth a shot.
The film is the stylized, dramatized, hyperbolized adaptation of S Hussain Zaidi’s book Dongri to Dubai which, even though I haven’t read it, certainly had no room for item numbers. But then Sanjay Gupta is a director who values style over substance, edge over depth, excess over restraint. So we have this blood and gore fest involving goons, dons and cops, laced with action-packed sequences, torrid romance, item numbers, high-decibel background score, and an explosive culmination with the encounter of the protagonist Manya Surve, played by John Abraham who puts more force than thought into his portrayal of a man wronged by law.

Yes, wronged by law. Manohar (John) used to be a bright student. But he’s falsely framed in a murder case and sent to jail where he turns into a hardened criminal. Ironic, eh? His budding romance with a simple college girl (Kangna Ranaut) too is nipped in the bud.

In jail, Manohar turns into Manya. He works out like a man possessed, and befriends other criminals, including Sheikh Munir (Tusshar Kapoor). The duo breaks out of the prison and returns to Mumbai to rule the underworld. Manya Surve is ready to take on the might of the ruling dons Zubair (Manoj Bajpayee) and Dilawar (Sonu Sood). The only person who can throw spanner in Manya’s plans is the inspector Afaaque Bhagran (Anil Kapoor).

The story of Shootout At Wadala is told in flashbacks as Gupta flips out the final card (Manya Surve’s encounter at the hands of the cop Afaaque) at the outset and takes the story backwards and tells it through the perspective of a bullet-riddled Manya.

Subtleties and nuances are the last things to expect from a Sanjay Gupta film and Shootout At Wadala doesn’t even attempt to proffer either. Nor does Gupta believe in moderation. So everything has been boiled and stewed to a point where a viewer has his fill and groans “Ab bas. Aur nahin”. For instance, all the action sequences have been revved up to high-voltage level. The dialogues are more filmi than real, and one even goes like “Inki tehzeeb mein bhi tezaab hai.” The songs flow in one after another without any relevance to the narrative, and it’s really odd to see John as the incendiary, simmering gangster one moment, and a flirty teaser gawking at Sunny Leone’s deadly curves the next.

As far as performances go, John Abraham tends to give it his all, but it’s nothing that would fetch him a National Award. From the sidelines, Anil Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee and Sonu Sood steal your attention in the second half. Tusshar Kapoor is never unfit as the second fiddle. Kangna Ranaut features in a few intimate sequences with John.

All in all, Shootout At Wadala is not the best underworld film by any stretch of imagination, but it certainly is worth giving a shot if you fancy John Abraham’s transformation into a rugged, beefy gangster and Sanjay Gupta’s brand of stylized action.

IPL spot fixing: Veena Malik narrates how she saw the quirky side of Mohammad Asif

2013-05-23T00:47:00.001-07:00

New delhi, May 23: New Delhi: The ongoing IPL 6 spot fixing scandal whose flares has recently covered late Dara Singh’s son-actor Vindoo, has once again triggered starlet Veena Malik to reveal how corruption is involved in this gentleman's game.
Veena Malik who made major revelation during the 2010 Lord’s test match-fixing, narrates how she saw the quirky side of her ex- boyfriend Mohammed Asif and other players.

The actress told a daily tabloid: "It is not a gentleman's game anymore. Now we are sure about the corruption associated with it."

"Everyone knows that match-fixing has existed in cricket but nothing concrete has been done till date to curb it.”, said Malik over numerous players including Rajasthan Royals' S.Sreesanth involvement in ongoing IPL 6 spot fixing scandal.

The controversial queen gained major attention in 2010 when she revealed numerous hidden facts about Pak cricketers including fast bowler Md. Asif who were involved in Lord’s Test. The actress was dating Asif during those days and found his behaviour weird.

"While I was dating Asif, I stumbled upon several shocking things related to the matches. Despite the fate meted to the cricketers (referring to Asif, Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir), the new generation of cricketers don't seems to have learnt their lessons," says Veena, narrating how she saw the murky side of cricketing heroes when the Lord's test match-fixing case was exposed.

"I once jokingly told Asif that he should be careful and never get involved in fixing. To which he had replied, 'everyone is involved”, said Veena.

Veena had broken up with Asif but thereafter the actress gained limelight and also an entry to Bollywood. Bigg Boss season 4- the Indian version of Big Brother fell into Veena’s lap. The officials of the programme wanted a “house inmate” who had a bigger personality and an even bigger list of controversies. And Veena was the right choice.

Till date, she is best recalled for her racy display of love with co-contestant Ashmit Patel on the show. She will soon be seen in Rajiv S. Ruia's film Zindagi 50-50, where she plays a sex worker named Madhuri.

Photos: Veena Malik sports colourful bikinis for Dirty Picture

2013-05-23T00:44:00.000-07:00

Veena Malik is the present sensation in Indian films. Be it in Bollywood or South films, the actress is hitting headlines every now and then. It is no surprise that she gets a lot of attention for her bold avatars and straight-forward statements. While the Pakistani girl is completely busy with her forthcoming Hindi film Zindagi 50-50 on one end, the actress is making noise in Kannada films with her forthcoming film Silk Sakkath Hot Maga, which was earlier called as Dirty Picture Silk Sakkath Hot, on the other end.

She is making her debut in Sandalwood with Silk Sakkath Hot, which is a biopic of yesteryear sex siren Silk Smitha. The actress will be seen in boldest ever role in the forthcoming Kannada movie. The trailer and photos clearly show that Veena Malik has left no stone unturned to leave an impact in the mind of masses. Her skimpy cloths and intimate scenes have already gone viral on internet.

I'm interested in doing more regional films: Veena Malik

2013-05-23T00:39:00.001-07:00

Veena Malik's new film, 'Zindagi 50-50' is scheduled for a May 24 release. It will see Malik in the role of a sex worker. The movie also features Rajan Verma, Rajpal Yadav and Riya Sen.
Actress Veena Malik joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on her movie 'Zindagi 50-50'.

Veena Malik ditches 'Rishton Ke Bhanwar Mein Uljhi Niyati' producers

2013-05-23T00:35:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: Pakistani actor Veena Malik who was all geared up to perform in Sahara One's Rishton Ke Bhanwar Mein Uljhi Niyati as part of the promotional campaign for her upcoming flick Zindagi 50-50 backed out of her commitment at very last moment.

As per the sources, there was a dance sequence of Veena in the serial on one of the popular song from her film Zindagi 50-50 at Ishwar (Tabrez Khan) and Niyati's (Aastha Chaudhary) engagement ceremony.

Cast and crew were waiting for the actor, even they had invited the media, but Veena did not turn up. When the production team made a call to Malik's manager he said that she won't come at all as she was not well. Due to this sudden incident, daily soap team had to shoot the engagement ceremony in a low profile manner.

A source revealed, "She might have been unwell, but then there is something called communication. This is not professional at all."

Veena Malik, Aishwarya Rai and Ranbir Kapoor in Bollywood celebwatch

2013-05-23T00:31:00.002-07:00

Aishwarya Rai and Sonam Kapoor dazzle at the 66th Cannes Film Festival, and Veena Malik visits Mumbai's oldest red light district Kamathipura, to promote her upcoming film “Ziindagi 50-50”, while Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor attend an event to promote their forthcoming film "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani". These and more from the Bollywood circles this week.

Veena Malik poses at red light area

2013-05-23T00:28:00.003-07:00

In a bid to promote her upcoming film Zindagi 50-50, Veena Malik visited Kamathipura, Mumbai’s oldest and Asia’s second-largest red light district along with her co-star Rajan Verma.

The tinsel town girl who chose to shed her inhibitions posed with the prostitutes and also interacted with them and distributed condoms to spread awareness about safe sex.

Although Malik said she was there because she supports womanhood and thus decided to spend this special day of her life with sex workers, but the reason why the actress was there is quite evident .

Veena Malik promotes Zindagi 50-50 in red light area, distributes condoms

2013-05-23T00:21:00.001-07:00

Veena Malik was spotted distributing condoms in Mumbai's oldest red light area, Kamathipura, to promote her upcoming movie 'Zindagi 50-50'.

Tannishtha takes a dig at Bollywood stars at Cannes

2013-05-23T00:14:00.001-07:00

The signs were always there and now the indications are clear too. Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha, who are coming together for the first time, in a vintage romance (Lootera) have a lot to thank yesteryear's matinee idols for. Their characters have been modeled on Dev Anand and Sadhana.

"Though in terms of their overall appearance, Ranveer and Sonakshi don't bear any similarity with Dev Anand and Sadhana, it is in terms of recreating the bygone era where some obvious inspirations have come into the picture," informs a source.

"Especially for the songs, it is pretty clear that the golden days are being revisited. One such song of Dev Anand and Sadhana that made it to the top of the list was 'Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar' from Hum Dono," adds the source.
"Director Vikramaditya Motwane wanted to capture the silent feel for a key song sequence in the film. Half a century back, a lot was said through expressions and the eyes did all the talking. The same has been repeated for 'Sawaar Loon' in Lootera and 'Abhi Na Jao...' formed a good basis for that," the source continues.

Though it was impossible to put a rather sober Ranveer into the shoes of debonair Dev Anand, and Sonakshi into the petite frame of Sadhana, the actors were given a brief around living and breathing romance on the same lines.

On being contacted, a senior official at Balaji said, "When you are making a film set in the bygone era, there are bound to be inspirations. Lootera is one of the most simple, pure and beautiful love stories to come out in Bollywood. Not many know but there are major dramatic twists in the romance as well.

Deepika Padukone Unveils The Latest Issue Of 'People' Magazine

2013-05-23T00:09:00.003-07:00

Deepika Padukone was present to unveil the latest issue of 'People' magazine in Mumbai. Mandira Bedi, Huma Qureshi, Sasheh Aagha and others were also spotted at the event.

Subhash K Jha speaks about Aurangzeb

2013-05-23T00:01:00.002-07:00

Sapna se badaa apna hota hai...It's okay to sacrifice one's dreams for the sake of those you love. This is a recurrent thought in this hard hitting family drama about fatally flawed people who flock together in search of a happiness that is snatched from them by a fate far more cruel and savage than what we generally see and recognize as destiny.

The destiny that seems to underline the lives in writer-director Atul Sabharwal's drama of family feuds is as flawed as it is rich in resonances. And why not! Perfection is as boring as it is unbelievable. Sabharwal spreads out a hectic hefty horizon of dark grey black and ominously immoral people who share a common genealogy but are not afraid to kill one another for personal gains.
Welcome to the world of unstoppable ambitions. Half-realized dreams thread their way through Sabharwal's intricate plot, much like those gigantic cement-mortar-glass skyscrapers that kiss the sky in half-constructed questionable glory in the film's excellently-composed frames. The cinematography by N. Karthik Ganesh provides a panoramic view of Gurgaon's super-affluent landscape. It also provides us an insight into the anxious souls of half-finished lives trapped in the mirage of their absurd aspirations.

Each moment in Aurangzeb tells a heartbreaking story of betrayal and bloodshed, of men and women who have forsaken a life of peaceful sleep to pursue wakeful dreams that leave them famished and restless.

At first Aurangzeb seems plotted with too many twists and turns. And then as you watch the tale of twin brothers (Arjun Kapoor, very much in character) and a stepbrother, played by Prithiviraj, who turns out to be the moral foundation of this empire of quicksand compulsions, you fall into the rhythm patterns of Sabharwal's quiet volatile and implosive storytelling.

The film's grand design subsumes a scintillating galaxy of memorable moments. Nothing in the film is what it seems. No character is to be trusted. There are illegitimate relationships and business interests jostling with their more constitutional counterparts. The twins-device serves as a vivid indication of the moral ambiguities that underscore the world of corporate deals.

Supreme power and supreme wealth are what the characters seek in this film. Funny, how they end up nullified or dead at the end! None more so that the all-powerful cop played by Rishi Kapoor. A closet-extortionist, this powerful policeman's family-mafia runs parallel to Jackie Shroff's vast empire of drugs and other criminal activities.

Arjun Kapoor crosses comfortably into both the nefarious kingdoms. He is the dual mirror- image of the sinner and the victim. Playing the traditional 'Ram Aur Shyam' game Kapoor seems to nail the brotherly mirror-image into a slide show of shifting loyalties. It's a compelling double-whammy from a sophomore actor who made a sizeable impact with his first film Ishaqzaade last year.

Prithviraj who made his Hindi debut with the disastrous Aiyya last year, springs a stunning surprise as Arjun Kapoor's half-brother. He is the voice of this vast plot's nebulous conscience. It's finally Prithviraj who redeems the film's shifting moral values to recover a moral centre for a world that seems to spin out of control with its penchant for power and greed for wealth.

Jackie Shroff plays opposite Rishi Kapoor in this world of crime and the law where the two kingdoms often merge in disturbing alliances. Jackie is controlled, his face a map of generations of endured pain.

Every player, big or small, gives life to the tumultuous Shakespearean tale .I've to make mention of the very talented Swara Bhaskara who plays Prithiviraj's wife. The super-talented girl has just two brief sequences. But she wrenches your heart. Tanve Azmi's motherly act has its moments. Amrita Singh as a scheming she-devil is the traditional home-breaker. It's a stereotypical bad-girl role, given a reined-check by the actress' ingrained grace. Seshah Agha in a role clearly inspired by Parveen Babi in Yash Chopra's Deewaar is cast in a character that deserved a far better and more seductive actress.

Atul Sabharwal's direction bears ruminative remnants of the mighty filmmaking legacy of Yash Chopra and Mani Ratnam. The script outwardly sounds like a potboiler about the shifting equation between the legitimate and the outcast. But the tone adapted to tell this potboiler tale is authentic, underplayed and constantly credible. It's as if Manmohan Desai suddenly decided go the way Shayam Benegal did in Kalyug.

The film is a marvel of impeccable casting. Every actor gives off his best, none more so than Rishi Kapoor who as the illimitably corrupt cop pulls off yet another masterly antagonist's part.

Aurangzeb springs many unexpected surprises. It is a work which doesn't shy away from screaming silences and penetrating whispers. The soft spoken words delivered in a natural even pitch are often so far-reaching in their implications that we keep returning to the dialogues much after the characters have spoken them and moved on.

Yes, much in Aurangzeb is imperfect. The ambivalent tone of authenticity in a plot that seems inspired by the melodramatic blockbusters of the 1970s is really an exercise in self-indulgence. It's as if the director wants to prove his intellectual superiority over the material he has chosen to deconstruct .But the contradictory tone somehow works in a way we've never seen before.

Gurgaon on the outskirts of Delhi becomes a hotbed of intrigue and drama. But underneath the conspiracies and the killings is a tragic tale of blood unnecessarily spilt for advantages that finally mean zilch in the absence of loved ones to share the loot with.

Aurangzeb has an epic sweep to its storytelling. But it's also an intimate portrait of family values gone to waste. It is really the sound of stifled sobs that we carry home of characters who thought they knew it all only to realize at the end that they somewhere lost track of their inner self in pursuit of distant dreams.

Cannes 2013: Aishwarya at Cleopatra Premiere

2013-05-22T23:56:00.002-07:00

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who's the brand ambassador of L'Oreal Paris at Cannes 2013 completes 12 glorious years of her presence at the festival, this year. And the diva is celebrating this blissful occasion with a wardrobe full of chic and classy clothes, donning them one after the other.

After amazing us in Elie Saab, Saint Laurent & Zac Posen, Sabyasachi, Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla ensembles, Ash attended the premiere of Cleopatra in a gorgeous teal Gucci Première one-shoulder floor-sweeping gown. The babe finally got rid of her usual tousled flowing hair and pristine makeup, this time a pop of bright fuchsia lips and a top sleek knot bun with a black satin Gucci clutch rounded off her dainty look.

Mrs. Bachchan's this year's mantra includes a big no to heavy jewels and saris and a big yes to simplicity, which wows us every now and then.

Farhan, Ritesh go all out to promote Fukrey

2013-05-22T23:50:00.004-07:00

The upcoming Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani film Fukrey has been making headlines since the film's announcement. Being the first film that will feature newcomers the producers at Excel Entertainment are going all out to promote the film. In fact the makers recently held a grand launch of the film's music at Atmaram Santandharam College in Delhi which is known for their notorious students.

Interestingly, Ritesh and Farhan who also attended the event were to enter the college on horses. This decision was taken as the first shot in the promo is where the two boys - Hunny and Choocha enter in college on horses.

However, at the last minute, they took a call that the cast should enter on horses where as Ritesh, Farhan and the director Mrigdeep Lamba entered riding bicycles. Following this decision Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma, Manjot Singh and Ali Fazal entered on horses, while the girls Richa Chadda, Priya Anand and Vishakha Singh danced to the dhol beats.

Apart from this unique entry, the music launch even had LIVE performance by Ram Sampat, Ajmad and Sona Mohapatra.

Bollywood bad boy Dutt held in 'terrorist' jail cell: report

2013-05-22T23:13:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI - Bollywood superstar Sanjay Dutt, who is in jail for arms possession, is being held in a cell built for militants where he cannot see daylight and wants to be transferred, a report said Saturday.

Dutt, 53, surrendered on Thursday to serve out the remaining three-and-a-half years of a five-year term in a case linked to deadly 1993 Mumbai bombings.

Dutt’s lawyer, Rizwan Merchant, has demanded the transfer of the actor whom he said was being kept in the cell once occupied by Mumbai attacks gunman Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, according to the Indian Express daily newspaper.

Pakistani-born Kasab was executed last November, nearly four years after 166 people died in a three-day rampage that traumatised India.

The steel bunker specially built for Kasab at Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail had no ventilation and the actor could not even tell if it was day or night, the lawyer said.

“He (Dutt) is not a terrorist” and should not be kept in such a cell, the lawyer was quoted as saying.

   There was no immediate comment available from the jail.

   The actor, whose parents were two of India’s biggest stars, shot to fame in the 1980s in a string of action movies in which he performed his own stunts, earning him the nickname “Deadly Dutt”.

He was convicted in 2006 of possessing guns supplied by gangsters who staged the 1993 bomb attacks that killed 257 people but was freed on bail after serving 18 months in prison. In March, the Supreme Court upheld Dutt’s conviction.

He was cleared in 2007 of more serious conspiracy charges in the blasts, believed staged by Muslim underworld leaders in revenge for religious riots in which mainly Muslims died after the razing of an ancient mosque by Hindu zealots.

Dutt, whose mother was Muslim and father Hindu, was found guilty of possession of an automatic rifle and a pistol which he insisted were only meant to protect his family in Mumbai’s charged atmosphere following the mosque’s destruction.

After the Supreme Court upheld his conviction, the father-of-three wept and declared himself “a shattered man”.   - AFP

China Open: Sania Mirza-Nuria Llagostera Vives pair loses to Russian combo

2012-10-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

BEIJING: India's Sania Mirza and Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives - seeded fourth in the women's doubles event of the China Open - failed to carry their early form into the final, falling to the third-seeded Russian combine of Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova 5-7, 5-7 on a chilly night at the Olympic Grounds facility.

At the end of the 95-minute encounter, the Russian pair were richer by $290,800 and 1000 WTA ranking points, while Sania and Nuria settled for $145,445 and 700 points.

The Indo-Spanish pair started well, breaking Vesnina in the opening game of the match to take a 3-1 lead. At this point, the fifth-seeds looked good as team, showing that their coordination extended beyond their ice-blue tennis skirts.
If Sania called the shots from the back of the court, Nuria was quick and sharp at the net, dissecting and dominating.

The Russians then had little choice but to dig in and they responded magnificently with Makarova leading the way with some powerful hitting from the back of the court that saw the third seeds reel off four games in a row to take a 4-3 lead.

Sania and Nuria then had a chance to close out the set in the tenth game with Sania serving, but that was not to be as the 25-year-old Hyderbadi was broken at 30.

Nuria, 32 from Mallorca, who posed in the nude for Spanish magazine Interviu four summers ago in a bid to attract sponsors, was broken in the 12th game, the break finally punctuating the roller-coaster first set.

Vesnina and Makarova seemed to carry the advantage into the second set, storming to a 4-0 lead. With their backs to the wall, the fifth seeds fought back superbly to level scores at 4-4. The next three games went with serve before Sania was broken in the 12th game.

Mirza happy to finish on a high

2012-10-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

Indian star upbeat despite doubles defeat in China.
Beijing: India’s women’s tennis star Sania Mirza finished “on a high” despite going down in the women’s doubles final at the China Open here on Saturday.
Seeded No.5 with her partner Nuria Llagostera Vives, the Indo-Spanish pair dug in deep only to come out second best to No 3 seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Mirza’s former partner Elena Vesnina, who won 7-5, 7-5.
Mirza and Vives led 3-0 in the opening set, but Makarova and Vesnina fought back to draw level and a second break on the Spaniard’s serve handed them the set 7-5.
The second set was a contrasting affair to the first, with the Russian duo pushing hard for an early 4-0 cushion. But Mirza and Vives did well draw level at 4-4, only to see the Indian failing to hold serve to hand the winner’s cheque of $290,800 (Dh1.067 million) to Vesnina and Makarova.
Mirza’s second mixed doubles Grand Slam title with Bhupathi came at the French Open earlier this year, but the Indian, who is based in Dubai with her cricketer husband Shoaib Malik, has struggled to find a steady partner to play with in the women’s doubles.
Following her recovery from a knee injury that put her out for some time, Mirza won the Pattaya City Open with Rodionova and the Brussels Open with American Mattek-Sands earlier this season.
But she admitted that a heavy schedule and several off-court controversies had left her wanting some time off.
“I was deciding to play in Moscow [next week], but now that we have finished here I feel very tired, and it’s 90 per cent sure I won’t be going to Moscow. It’s been a long year for me with the Olympics and playing so much on the WTA Tour,” the Indian said. “And mentally, too, I’ve had to deal with everything [happening off the court].
“It’s great to finish on a high like this. I can’t ask for a better finish to the year than this. I have been very unlucky with my partner this year with my regular partner getting hurt and injured all the time. So this has been a big week for me, and to make the final here has been great.”